In Jerusalem, during recent excavations in the City of David near the Temple Mount, a rare 1300-year-old pendant was found. The lead pendant was decorated on both sides with the symbol of a menorah. It is dated to the sixth and early seventh centuries CE, which was during the Late Byzantine period. It was found by chance in the debris of a Late Byzantine building when massive Umayyad buildings were being constructed. The Israel Antiquities Authority team of researchers—Dr. Yuval Baruch, Dr. Filip Vukosavović, Esther Rakow-Mellet, and Dr. Shulamit Terem—all agree this is an exceptional find because during this time, Jewish people were prohibited from entering Jerusalem by imperial authorities, so the presence of a deeply personal Jewish object in the middle of the city is hard to explain. Researchers are left to decide if the pendant belonged to a secret Jewish pilgrim, a visitor on official business, a merchant, or someone who found a way to continue living in the city in spite of the ban. “A pendant made of pure lead, decorated with a menorah, is an exceptionally rare find,” they said. “The double appearance of the menorah on each side of the disc indicates the deep significance of this symbol, and the central place of the menorah in the visual expression of connection to the Temple and its memory, even in periods long after the destruction of the Temple.”
Praise God for these meaningful discoveries that teach us more about the history of God’s chosen people and the land He promised them.
Israel and Egypt recently signed a massive natural gas deal worth 34.7 billion dollars. This is Israel’s largest energy deal and will strengthen Israel’s economy by billions of shekels in areas like education, health, infrastructure and security. “The deal greatly strengthens Israel’s position as a regional energy superpower, and contributes to regional stability,” argued Netanyahu. He then added that the deal would encourage other nations to look in Israel’s waters for gas.
The deal was slated to be signed in October but was paused to make sure the Israeli market would receive fair prices as well as maintain its security needs. The USA was pushing for this deal out of a desire to create warmer relations between Israel and Egypt, which were strained as a result of two years of war with Hamas in Gaza.
In December 2019, natural gas from the Leviathan deep sea gas reserves began pumping to Israel, with exports to Egypt beginning in early 2020. Since then, Israel has supplied 23.5 billion cubic meters of gas to Egypt. Israel’s discovery of the massive gas reserves off the coast of Haifa were a game changer for Israel to become a regional energy superpower.
Please pray for regional stability and for Israel’s place with the oil/gas-rich nations that surround her.
Recently, 180 released Israeli hostages and their families were hosted in Florida for two weeks to visit Disney parks, make special memories, and have deep, healing conversations with each other. There are a variety of people on this trip: children who were held hostage for 53 days, fathers who were released in January 2024, young women who were held as hostages for one year-and-a-half, and the final hostages who were released this past October. Each one has a tragic story, but they are all bound by shared pain, grieving, and healing. Each person has a special ability to understand each other because each is trying to learn how to live again. This group that is made up of hostages and returnees took this time together to help each other heal.
The organization who is sponsoring this wonderful trip is called Lehosheet Yad (Lend a Hand). Some freed hostages reflected on how healing such a trip can be. One former hostage, Elkhana Bohbot, remarked how he was held in a Hamas tunnel with Ohad Ben Ami and Yosef-Haim Ohana, and how they dreamed together of fun adventures they could have when they were freed—now, they are at Disney together making those very memories!
Please pray for the people, families and friends who have been affected by the horrific events of October 7, 2023.
Out staff are eager to report of a similar family get-away that our team in Jerusalem recently planned and hosted. You can read the encouraging and exciting report of personal and spiritual connection here!
“Two years ago, the Lord placed on our hearts a vision to serve families, and since then, we have been organizing family gatherings and camps for parents and children. God has truly blessed this ministry, and we are grateful to witness so much spiritual fruit.
Just in the past year alone, nine people who participated in our family camps accepted Yeshua (Jesus) and were baptized. Many others have become deeply interested in faith. In Jerusalem, we now have a small group of seven participants with whom we regularly study the Scriptures. We clearly see how both adults and children are being transformed—many have begun to pray, ask spiritual questions, and seek God sincerely.
Alongside family retreats, we continue to run children’s camps. It is especially encouraging to see that parents who attended our family camps now send their children to these camps, where the children, in turn, are also introduced to God and His love.
Last week, we held another five-day family camp, attended by 86 people—47 adults and 39 children. Most of them came from non-believing families, many of whom had already participated in our previous events. Since the camp took place during Hanukkah, the central theme throughout the week was light.
We gathered together daily, sang Hanukkah and worship songs, shared testimonies, and discussed both spiritual and practical topics. There were Bible lessons focused on the meaning of Hanukkah and its deep spiritual symbolism. As we spoke about the Hanukkah candles, we reflected on the Shamash—the servant candle that lights all the others—and how Yeshua, the true Light of the world, came not to be served, but to serve us.
We also talked about the legendary miracle of the temple oil that continued to burn and did not run out, seeing in it a picture of the Holy Spirit, whose presence brings eternal life—burning brightly and never fading. Another important theme was that when we receive God’s Spirit, we too receive the light of Messiah and are called to shine that light to others. These teachings led to many meaningful questions, deep discussions, and sincere searching of hearts.
One of the most beautiful parts of the camp was the everyday fellowship. Our team had many opportunities to listen to people’s stories, hear their struggles, and get to know them personally. Everyone carries their own challenges, and we were thankful to offer encouragement, practical advice, and prayer whenever possible.
Of course, there was also plenty of joy—games, free time, laughter, and warm interactions. The children especially enjoyed playing together and building friendships. Most importantly, families were able to spend several uninterrupted days together—away from daily routines, phones, and the internet—simply being present with one another.”
Please keep in your prayers the ongoing ministry we have among Holocaust survivors, children, young adults, and families!
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N Cooke2022-02-17 14:55:552022-02-17 15:08:25Reaching the Hard-to-Reach
Bondi beach, Sydney, Australia. (Photo: Unsplash/Paula-Jorunn Naes)